A Little Magic
by clutzey
Summary: The Golden Trio's class is about to graduate, and after the suffering that it has gone through, Dumbledore takes it upon himself to help the students and staff express themselves.
1. Prologue

((I not own any of the characters in these stories. I am not making any money off these stories either.))

Hogwarts was done, or almost done at least, for the golden trio. NEWTS were over; classes were filled with redundant information that they would need to further their life, and graduation ceremony was only a week away. Soon they would be leaving the place that they have considered their home and leaving for the real world. Harry and Ron had been accepted to the Aurors training, and Hermione had been offered a job as the new History of Magic teacher. Professor Binns, bless his soul had finally crossed over to the other side, and she had been filling in for the remaining days of his class this last year.

Sure, it was not the most elusive of jobs, but it was what she wanted. Knowledge was the key to everything, and she could give little bits of that key to each student that walked into her classroom. Or at least that was how she felt. Of course, she was also there because she would become a member of the Order upon graduation, and in times like this of war, there was no safer place for her than Hogwarts, under the watchful eyes of Professor Dumbledore.

Voldemort was still on the rise, killing and plundering unsuspecting wizarding villages. Hogsmeade has been hit only 3 months ago, but that was as close as it had come to Hogwarts. Lord Voldemort was not a fool, he knew better than to intrude on Albus Dumbledore territory. If he wanted Dumbledore, he needed Dumbledore to come to him.

Many lives had been lost these last years though, some students and other's their families. Others had turned traitor too their cause. Draco Malfoy amazingly had turned against Voldemort, denouncing his own father and would be replacing Remus Lupin this year as Defense Against the Dark Arts. Remus had finally married Nymphadora Tonks, who was killed at the Hogsmeade Massacre. Now, he would be leaving the magic world and hiding somewhere in America.

The Order was still alive, but had suffered some losses as well. Her own son, Percy, had murdered Molly Weasley. Percy, after working for the minister, had been taken down by the imperious curse like the rest of them. Lucky for the Order, the Aurors had split from the control of the ministry and now were controlled by Albus Dumbledore himself. There was nothing really that the Order could do to prevent deaths, it was truly no secret anymore who the members were. Except of course, one.

Severus Snape still hid within the confines of the castle, sneaking around and doing Albus's dirty work. Being a spy had not been easy on him these last years, as loyalty was harder to prove to the Dark Lord. But he had proven it, whether it was many bouts of the Crucio Curse or killing a few innocent muggles. He had proven his loyalty. Of course, after such incidents, he would come back to Hogwarts a broken man. Students wondered why he would even take points off his own house; he did it because he knew they were the future of evil. They and their parents were what caused him so much pain and suffering.

Though, in evilness, we cannot always blame only the Slytherins. A fair share of each house had proven to become Death Eaters, or Future Death Eaters. One unsuspected one was Neville Longbottom. Years of teasing had driven him to practical insanity. Until one day in potions he threw the killing curse at Harry. Of course, we know that Neville was never too good at anything besides herbology, and he only succeeded in turning Potters hair green for a week. But the damage had been done, and now Neville was locked up in the padded rooms of the insanity wards.

That had only happened a few weeks ago, and was fresh in the students' minds. Something had to be done to make this school happy again. Their seemed to be an uneasy silence in the hallways, classrooms, and even in the Great Hall. After so many years, so many tragedies, there isn't much that hasn't already been said.

Or had it? Albus mused over this question many times, and he finally thought that he had the perfect solution.


	2. Sing A Little

((Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters used in this story. I am not making any money off of this story.))

Albus Dumbledore stood before the massive crowd of students in the Great Hall, looking at them through his glasses, knowing that they would not expect what would be coming to them. He slowly stood from his seat, and heard Minerva to his side tapping her glass and telling everyone to quiet down. Knowing what a reaction he would get, he had not even let his most trusted of staff in on his secret plan.

"Excuse me, I have an announcement," he said as he cleared his throat, aged eyes looking around the room. "As most have noticed, we have suffered many losses this year. Many of us have felt emotions that we have not been able to express, students and staff alike. I have taken it upon myself to solve our communication problem. I have always found that that best way to express oneself is through music, and I feel it would be most beneficial if some of our staff and students would release to us through this way."

Gasps were heard all throughout the Great Hall, and sudden whispers broke out, "Students will be duly warned, that whatever is said in the songs is not to be teased, as this is a very personal and revealing moment to the singer. Now, as to how the singers will be chosen? Not everyone in this room will get to sing for us, but I have devised a spell that will choose the two people it believes needs to sing the most at that meal. When you are chosen, you will truly not know what you are singing till after you are done, there will be no one way to suppress oneself from singing. Anyone who sees fit not to show up to these meals will find that Mr. Filch can be quite accommodating to your needs. That is all."

He was quite unsure if everyone heard the second part of his speech, since the students were all bent low in whispers. Slowly he looked down the staff table and received nothing but unmasked glares. But, it was for their own good, and he knew that later they would realize this. What they of course did not know was that the spell was already in full vigor, looking for its first victim. The person whose heart most needed to be relieved.

Dumbledore would again rise and all eyes would be on him, as the staff and students both wondered if he could top his last announcement. Silence filled the room, not even a whisper could be heard. Were they all really that frightened of what he could say? But he didn't say anything at first, almost as if in a trance. His mouth would open and out of it, a cold tenebrous voice would emit, as blue eyes darted straight to Harry Potter.

"Spend your lazy, endless crazy

Days inside my head

You're so selfish

You're not the only

One who thinks he's dead

I'm paid to smile now I'm on trial

For what you think I said

But I never said

That everything would be ok

And I never said

That we would live to see another day "

No one had ever expected that this kind of bitterness could lye within their mentor and Headmaster. Especially not Harry, who now regretted the complaints and accusations he threw at the Headmaster, he had never known the damage of words.

"Motivate me, I wanna get myself out of this bed

Captivate me, I want good thoughts inside of my head

If I fall down would you come around

And pick me right up off the ground

If I fall down would you come around

And pick me right up off the ground

Un-realistic and narcissistic

You say I'm selfish and absurd

You try to change me

Try to save me

You say I'm gonna learn

I'm so blind

I'm out of time

You're so unkind sometimes

I never lied, I never lied, I never lied...

But I never said

That everything would be ok

And I never said

That we would live to see another day

'Cause everything it'll be ok,

You know we're gonna live to see another day,

Yeah...yeah...

Motivate me...yeah,

Motivate me...yeah"

The sound stopped and Albus fell to his seat looking around with wide eyes at the crowd inside the Great Halls. Maybe he had not thought this all the way through, maybe just maybe, people would get more hurt by this spell than relieved.

Suddenly he felt a pair of hands massaging his neck and shoulders. Turning his head, he was met with the gracious and caring smile of Minerva. Overcome with emotion, she ran her hand down the cheek of the old Headmaster. In a soft soprano voice, she slowly began to sing.

"Don't lose your way

With each passing day

You've come so far

Don't throw it away

Live believing

Dreams are for weaving

Wonders are waiting to start

Live your story

Faith hope and glory

Hold to the truth

In your heart

If we hold on together

I know our dreams

Will never die

Dreams see us through

To forever

Where clouds roll by

For you and I

Souls in the winds

Must learn how to mend

Seek out a star

Hold on to the end

Valley, mountain

There is a fountain

Washes our tears

All away

Words are swaying

Someone is praying

Please let us come

Home to stay

If we hold on together

I know our dreams

Will never die

Dreams see us through

To forever

Where clouds roll by

For you and I

When we are out there

In the dark

We'll dream about the sun

In the dark

We'll feel the light

Warm our hearts

Everyone

If we hold on together

I know our dreams

Will never die

Dreams see us through

To forever

As high

As souls can fly

The clouds roll by

For you and I"

Once again the hall was left in silence before a single clap started from the Gryffindor Table. Then two more were added as the Golden Trio stood to praise the Headmaster and the Professor. Soon, the entire Great Hall followed in suit, bar one.

Severus Snape sat in his corner of the table, watching the spectacle with unblinking eyes. His eyes glanced towards a certain bookish Gryffindor, fear within him rising that with Dumbledore's new plan, he may not be able to keep secret what was buried within him.

((AN: Dumbledore's Song: Motivate Me by Good Charlotte, Minerva's Song: If We Hold On Together by Diana Ross))


	3. Awaken

The Great Hall was filled with silence that night. The whispers had died down as the words of Dumbledore sunk in. He had always been the one to faith in good triumphing over evil, or at least that is what they had all presumed.

Later That Night 

A sliding sound would be heard as the stairway formed in Professor Dumbledore's office. Soon afterwards, non-other than Harry Potter materialized in the doorway, looking at the worn out headmaster.

"Did you really mean what you said out there, Headmaster?" He asked quietly, unmoving from the frame of the doorway.

Sighing, Albus shifted in his seat and looked at Harry over his glasses, "Yes Mr. Potter. I could lie to you, and tell you that what I said out there was not the truth, but we both no better. I have done enough lying and keeping things from you. I just feel that sometimes Harry, you feel that you are the only one who is fighting this war, the only one who feels loss, and the only one whose affected. I'm sorry, but your not."

The man in the chair would get up and walk up into what Harry presumed to be his quarters. He truly looked older than ever.

Turning quickly, Harry made his way back down the stairway and into the hallway, where Hermione and Ron were waiting for him. His face disguised what the Headmaster had told him, he did not want pity from his friends because they did not know what it was like to be like him.

Ron went to put and arm around Harry; they had been going together since 6th year though it was not talked about very much. Or at least not where people could hear it. Harry was in no way ashamed of being gay, but he just felt that it was between Ron and him, and well, maybe Hermione.

Shrugging the arm off of him, he stormed down the hallway leaving his friends behind to speculate what had happened. Hermione's hand went up and patted Ron on the back, after seeing what a rejected look he had upon his face. Gazing over at her, he just shook her head then took off after Harry, leaving her all alone. Or at least she thought that she was all alone, but unbeknownst to her, a pair of black eyes watched the scene very carefully.

Dejectedly, Hermione leaned against a nearby wall. It seemed that more and more lately they were abandoning her. But, she supposed, that is what growing up was all about. Leaving behind the dreams of what they once shared, and embracing the fact that her future had no certainty anymore.

The Next Night At Dinner 

Tonight students sat nervously, not quite knowing what to expect, or who to expect it from. Albus sat at his place, eyeing both the students and staff for the least bit of odd behavior. All day he had wondered whether or not to end the spell, but had finally decided against it. Ugly things may be to come from it, but what needs to be said would be said.

Many eyes were drawn to the Gryffindor table, where they Golden Trio sat split apart. Harry had isolated himself from the others, and it seemed that there was almost a visible barrier separating them. Ron, however, had sat with Dean and Seamus to talk about quidditch, something Hermione of course had no interest in.

It would be duly noted that several students were missing from their seats from each tables. After what had happened the previous night, they thought detention with Filch was more agreeable than singing in the Great Hall.

Suddenly, as if possessed, Hermione stood swiping her glass to the side of the table. Of course, it had not hit anybody because no one had chosen to sit by her. All eyes fell upon the angry looking Gryffindor as she began to sing in a bitter, cold voice.

"When the warmth of the day becomes the night

Who could sleep beneath a strange moonlight?

No guiding star

So far from home

Walked the way o' promise to find but snow

Throughout, the voice of the winds brings nothing more

Than low echoes

So far from home

Even from a child

A wish is not enough

For me, for me the sky may fall

And even from a child

A dream is not enough

Could be, could be the sky may fall

Could be, could be the night ends all

No rains could weep as I have wept

To know a simple dream will not be kept

I am a child

So far from home

One by one the sky falls

I may not awaken"

Gasping as the song ended, she had never felt such raw emotion, not to say that it wasn't all true. It was, Hogwarts wasn't what she had been promised. No happy endings, no peace, and now no friends. Scared brown eyes looked around the hall filling with tears as she turned away to run towards the exit. But before she could get there, the smooth sound of a baritone washed over her, coming from the snarky professor at the staff table. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

"And in my twisted face

There's not the slightest trace

Of anything that even hints of kindness

And from my tortured shape

No comfort, no escape

I see, but deep within is utter blindness

Hopeless

As my dream dies

As the time flies

Love a lost illusion

Helpless

Unforgiven

Cold and driven

To this sad conclusion

No beauty could move me

No goodness improve me

No power on earth, if I can't love her

No passion could reach me

No lesson could teach me

How I could have loved her and make her love me too

If I can't love her, then who?

Long ago I should have seen

All the things I could have been

Careless and unthinking, I moved onward

No pain could be deeper

No life could be cheaper

No point anymore, if I can't love her

No spirit could win me

No hope left within me

Hope I could have loved her and that she'd set me free

But it's not to be

If I can't love her

Let the world be done with me."

He closed with a powerful note, black eyes locked onto those brown ones. Seeing them widened with shocked, he shook his head. His hands trembled as he moved down the aisle between the tables, grabbing her elbow, escorting her out of the Great Hall. The students and staff were left with nothing but a glimpse of black billowing capes, and a smirk that fell upon the face of the old Headmaster.


End file.
